The Development of the Spiritual Conflict Scale for Same-sex Attracted Individuals

Open Access
- Author:
- Kondas, Dorian C
- Graduate Program:
- Counseling Psychology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- September 09, 2014
- Committee Members:
- Kathleen Bieschke, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Jeffrey Hayes, Committee Member
Hoi Kin Suen, Committee Member
Mary Mc Clanahan, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Counseling Psychology
Counseling
Psychology
LGBT
gay
lesbian
spirituality
religion
religious studies
queer
Christian - Abstract:
- Empirical data has demonstrated spiritual conflict associated with psychological distress among some same-sex attracted individuals who identify with non-affirming, monotheistic faith traditions. Research scales validated for these populations intended for measuring spiritual conflict may provide more valid replication of extant empirical research and contribute a better understanding of several issues involving religiosity/spirituality among sexual minorities. Scale items for the Spiritual Conflict Scale for Same-Sex Attracted Individuals were generated through focus groups, professional consultation, and a thorough review of the literature in Study 1. Item revision and deletion for improved content validity were performed by expert judge review in Study 2. Exploratory factor analysis in Study 3 was performed for further item deletion and factor reduction for support of an internal factor structure. Study 4 investigated construct and known-groups validity testing of proposed subscales from Study 3. Results of factor analysis demonstrated limited support for an internal factor structure for three subscales of Spiritual Distress, Perceived Integration of Sexuality and Spirituality, and Relationship Morality. Limited support for construct and known-groups validity hypotheses was generally demonstrated for the Spiritual Distress subscale and to a lesser degree the Perceived Integration of Sexuality and Spirituality subscale. Additional research was deemed necessary for further validation because of mixed findings. Contributions to the literature and areas for future investigation are discussed in Chapter 5.